Egg and Lentil Curry

NOTE: This recipe is Vegetarian, but not Vegan.

This dish is also good without the eggs, especially as a side dish to a more dry dish or served over rice.

Energy: 2441kj
Protein: 14.4g
Carbohydrate: 87.3g
Fat: 15.9g (saturated fat: 3.5g)
Cholesterol: 8mg
Calcium: 196mg
Fibre: 3.2g
Sodium: 131mg

Egg and Lentil Curry

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of green lentils
3 cups vegetable stock
6 free-range eggs
2 Tbsp oil
2-3 cloves
1/4tsp black peppercorns
1 onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp curry paste (can use Thai red curry paste if you want)
400g can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garam masala

Method:

1. Wash the lentils thoroughly under cold running water. Put the lentils in a large, heavy pan with the vegetable stock. Cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut in half lengthways.

3. Heatthe oil in a large frying pan and fry the cloves and peppercorns for about 2 minutes. Add the onion, chillies, garlic and ginger, and fry the mixture for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Stir in the curry paste and fry for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar and stir in 175ml of water. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add the boiled eggs, frained lentils and garam masala. Cover and simmer for a further 1o minutes, then serve.

Source: Hill, S. (2007). The Beans & Pulses Cookbook, Southwater: London, p. 69

Serves: 4

Rating: 5

Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters

Sanitarium brand put out a great range of meat replacements. My favourite is the "devon" style roll called "Vegie Delights Deli Luncheon Smoked". Tastes so good on a sandwich, eaten plain, or even used in cooking!

Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters

Ingredients:

400g Sweet Potato, grated
6 Spring onions/shallots, thinly sliced
3/4 cup corn kernels, drained
4 slices Sanitarium Vegie Delights Deli Luncheon Smoked, finely diced
1/3 cup plain flour
3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chives, snipped

Method:

1. Place sweet potato, spring onions, corn, diced Vegie Delights roll, flour and eggs in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.

2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add heaped tablespoons of mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Remove and place on paper towel to drain.

3. Mix together ricotta and chives. Serve fritters with chive ricotta.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve fritters with a side salad consisting of lettuce, tomato, celery, carrot, cucumber, capsicum, and any other fresh vegetables.

Source: adapted from the Sanitarium, Vegie Delights website" http://www.vegiedelights.com.au/recipes/quicksnacks/sweet-potato-and-corn-fritters.aspx

Makes: approximately 20

Rating: 4

Vegetable Triangles

Great for disguising vegetables from those who claim not to like them! This recipe should make approximately 20 triangles.

Vegetable Triangles

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 potato, diced small, and boiled till tender
1/2 cup spinach, steamed with all liquid drained out
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 free range egg
1 onion
6 sheets Filo pastry

Method:

1. Combine oil with the next five ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes until onion and tomatoes are tender.

2. Blend ricotta and egg together and slowly add to vegetable mix.

3. Simmer for 5 minutes, then take off heat. (You can now freeze the mixture if you are not ready to use straight away).

4. Arrange filo pastry into strips and place a tablespoon of mixture into the corner and fold the pastry onto itself to form triangles.

5. Bake in oven until the filo pastry browns.

Serves: 4

Rating: 4

Mum's Baked Custard Recipe

This is a real favourite in my house. We used to have to make two of these: one for my dad, and one for the rest of the family! I guarantee it tastes like home.

Mum's Baked Custard Recipe

Ingredients:

2 free range eggs
1 Tbsp sugar
dash of vanilla essence
2 cups of milk
handful of sultanas
nutmeg (to dust over)
water in a tray

Method:

1. Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in an oven-proof dish and beat together.

2. Add in 2 cups of milk and combine.

3. Add the handful of sultanas (these will sink to the bottom and make a nice base).

4. Dust the top of the custard mixture with nutmeg (to taste).

5. Place the dish in a "water bath" (tray of water) to prevent the milk curdling

6. Bake in a 180*C (350*F) oven for 45-60mins. Serve hot!

NOTE: can be eaten the next day cold

Rating: 5!!

Spinach Pie

I've always wanted to know how to make this. Finally I found the recipe!

Spinach Pie

Ingredients:

14 sheets of filo pastry
1kg silverbeet (or English spinach)
4 Tbsp of olive oil
10 finely chopped spring onions
1 large brown onion diced
1 tsp of dill
5 Tbsp of parsley
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
4½ Tbsp of grated parmesan
170g crumbed feta cheese
5 Tbsp of cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
4 large free range eggs (beaten lightly)
40g melted butter
Pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180*C.

2. Remove the coarse white stems from the silverbeet and discard. Wash and dry the leaves thoroughly.

3. Partially chop the leaves and place in a large covered saucepan. Gently heat until the leaves are soft and tender (approx 5-8 minutes). Ensure the leaves do not stick to the pan. Drain in colander and squeeze out the excess water.

4. Place 3 Tbsp of oil into a frying pan, and cook the diced onion until gold and tender (around 10 minutes), add spring onions and cook for a further 5 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and add parsley, dill, nutmeg, all the cheeses, the eggs and a pinch of salt and pepper.

6. With a pastry brush, brush your baking tray with the butter and the remaining Tbsp of olive oil. Lay 6 sheets of filo pastry into the baking tray, brushing each with the butter oil mix, making sure that there is no tray exposed.

7. Spoon your mixture onto the pastry. Finish the pie by placing your remaining filo pastry over the top, and glaze each sheet - including the top one - as you go with the oil butter mix. Slice shallow squares over the top.

8. Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.

Serves: 4

Rating: I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I've had others like it. Tastes great!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever

The exact quantities for this recipe are a bit difficult to say as it depends on your tastes. You can always add more or less.

BUT, what is not difficult to say is that you'll love this recipe!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever

Ingredients:

1.5kg Waxy Potatoes (Kipfler & Dutch Cream are great) roughly chopped
4-5 free range eggs
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
4 Tbsp light sour cream
Small bunch of shallots (spring onions), chopped
Sea salt flakes
Fresh dill (optional), roughly chopped
pinenuts (lightly toasted)

Method:

1. Cover the potatoes with cold water, adding 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the water. Bring to the boil and cook just until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Place in a large bowl.

2. Boil eggs until hard (about 3 mins), remove shell and cut in quarters.

3. Lightly toast the pinenuts in a little oil (be careful not to burn them), drain and set aside to cool.

4. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cooled pinenuts and fresh dill. Mix well, and pour over cooled potatoes. DO NOT POUR OVER HOT POTATOES. Toss gently, then add egg and shallots and ensure mixed through lightly.

5. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

NOTE: this recipe tastes even better the day after!

Variation: You can add a little whole-seed mustard to the sauce, if you'd like to vary the taste. Also, this salad tastes amazing if you add a little sweet potato in place of some of the potato.

Serves: 4+

Rating: 5!!

Sweet Potato and Leek Tarts

Sweet Potato and Leek Tarts

Ingredients:

3 sheets ready rolled puff pastry
20g butter
2 large leeks, sliced
375g sweet potato, coarsley grated
4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup pure or thickened cream
1 Tbsp seeded mustard
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese (can use low fat)

Method:

1. preheat oven to 210c, thaw pastry sheets and cut into squares push into base of muffin tin

2. Melt butter in a large pan. add sliced leeks and sweet potato cook covered for 8 -10 mins stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to cool

3. Combine eggs, cream, cheese and mustard. Add vegies. Spoon into pastry cases bake 25-30mins

Rating: 4

Corn and Zucchini Fritters with Salsa

This dish is fun and reheats will the next day. The fritters are like pikelets, so are also great for the kids. It's a really delicious, and yet simple, meal.

Corn and Zucchini Fritters with Salsa:

Ingredients:

Fritters:

50g butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
210g can creamed corn
240g zucchini, grated coarsely
vegetable oil, for shallow frying

Salsa:

3 medium egg tomatoes, chopped coarsely
2 medium avocados, chopped coarsely
1 small red onion, chopped coarsely
2 Tbsp lime juice (fresh is always best)
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

1. Combine butter, milk, flour and egg in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add corn and zucchini; mix well.

2. Make salsa by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Heat oil in medium frying pan. Cooked heaped tablespoons of batter about 2 mins each side or until broned both sides and cooked through. Drain on absorbant paper. Serve with salsa.

NOTE: Keep the cooked fritters warm in the oven until serving time. You might also like to try adding a little grated cheddar cheese to the batter.

Serves: 4

Rating: 5

Pumpkin, Spinach and Fetta Frittata

Something for the whole family, this can be served hot or cold, and is a great lunchbox food.

Pumpkin, Spinach and Fetta Frittata:

Ingredients:

650g coarsely chopped pumpkin (peeled weight)
300g potato, chopped coarsely
125g baby spinach leaves, chopped coarsely
200g fetta cheese, crumbled
3/4 bup grated cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten lightly
1 small red onion, sliced thinly

Method:

1. Preheat oven to "very hot" (about 240*C). Grease deep, 23cm-square cake pan and line the base and two opposite sides with baking paper.

2. Boil or steam the pumpkin and potato until just tender, and drain.

3. Combine pumpkin, potato, spinach, cheeses and egg in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Transfer mixture into the prepared pan and top with the onion.

4. Bake in the "very hot" oven for about 25 mins or until firm. Stand 5 mins before serving.

Serves: 4

Rating: 4

"Egg Drop" Soup

A nice simple recipe for when you need something quick and easy, or when you just don't have much laying around in the pantry!

This is just for a single bowl, so increase the quantities if you are making it for more than one.

"Egg Drop" Soup:

Ingredients:

1.5 - 2 cups "Chicken" stock (we use Massel's vegetarian "chicken style" stock)
1/2 onion minced (the finer the better)
sesame oil (a dash or so)
small can of creamed corn
2 lightly beaten eggs
chives (for garnish)

Method:

1. Cook the onion for a couple of minutes in a large saucepan until translucent.

2. Add the "chicken stock" and bring to the boil.

3. Add the creamed corn and heat through.

4. When simmering again, add the egg in a continuous thin stream while stirring (if you stir fast you get shreds, if you stir slowly you get streams).

5. Serve, garnished with chives, and eat immediately

Variations:

* You can add a little garlic to this soup
* If you want a little more substance, you can add egg noodles or rice vermicceli noodles, cooked as per instructions on the packet
* Frozen peas and carrots may be added for more vegetable content

Serves: 1

Rating: 4